Chapter 153 The Two Major Civilian Squads Face Off

Chapter 153: When Titans Collide: Qingcheng's Top Civilian Teams Face Off

After her moment of reflection, Hua Diao shifted her gaze from Chu Zexuan to the two men beside him.

The man on the left was hulking, his massive muscles threatening to burst through his thin shirt. His every stride exuded an air of arrogant menace, yet to dismiss him as merely a brute would be a mistake. His rugged face bore the shrewdness of a streetwise opportunist, and when he smiled, it radiated cunning and ambition.

This man was undoubtedly Liu Hu, the leader of the Roaring Tiger Team.

According to previous intelligence, Liu Hu had been a notorious bouncer at a nightclub before the apocalypse. When the catastrophe struck, he swiftly rallied his underlings to form the core of the Roaring Tiger Team, later recruiting other local toughs and able-bodied individuals. The team expanded rapidly, though its lack of entry standards meant its members varied wildly in skill—some were formidable, others mere deadwood. That was why their losses during the defense of South City the previous day had been so severe.

Beside him stood a tall, lanky man named Xu He, who had been Liu Hu’s most trusted right-hand man before Chu Zexuan joined the team, wielding authority akin to a second-in-command.

Clearly, they had spared no effort for the intelligence dungeon—all three key figures of the Roaring Tiger Team were present. As for Quan Yumeng, she was likely just a throw-in, or perhaps a tool to provoke them.

The moment Liu Hu spotted the group at the entrance, his face broke into a grin as he strode forward, his booming voice dripping with false warmth. "Well, if it isn’t the famous Captain Xie of the Peanut Squad! Never thought we’d run into you here."

Xie Tingsheng glanced at him, his handsome face icy and dismissive, then ignored him entirely, wrapping an arm around Hua Diao’s shoulders as he turned to walk inside.

Liu Hu’s smile froze, his eyes darkening with barely-contained rage, but he quickly forced another grin and stepped in front of them, blocking their path. His predatory gaze glinted with malice as he sneered, "What’s this, Captain Xie? Too good to spare me a word? It’s rare we meet—I should thank you for cultivating such a fine ‘partner’ for our Deputy Captain Chu."

The onlookers: *...Ooooh! The two top civilian teams of Qingcheng, face to face at last! Fight, fight!*

And who was this Quan Yumeng?

Seemed she had some history with the Peanut Squad.

Their curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

Eyes gleaming, faces alight with gossipy delight, some even whipped out their phones to message friends and family, ready to livestream the drama.

*Breaking news: The leaders of the Peanut Squad and the Roaring Tiger Team have crossed paths—this is a historic moment!*

With his path blocked, Xie Tingsheng finally stopped and gave Liu Hu a proper look, though his expression remained icy. Without so much as a frown, he deadpanned, "So, are you here to pay the gratitude fee?"

"Pfft—"

Hua Diao, who had planned to stay silent and enjoy the show, couldn’t hold back a laugh. She never expected Brother Sheng to be this savage. Just look at Captain Liu’s face—it had turned green with rage! Not that it mattered. The spectators were loving it. Who cared about Liu Hu’s feelings now?

The infuriated Liu Hu, humiliated and seething, immediately redirected his anger at Hua Diao. His smile turned venomous as he snapped, "When I’m talking to Captain Xie, who gave you the right to interrupt? Women should stay home and mind the kids, not cling to their men and get in the way of real work."

The sheer malice in his words was downright disgusting.

Xie Tingsheng’s expression darkened instantly, his gaze turning glacial.

Zhu Bin, who had been about to step in as the diplomatic buffer, quickly yanked He Yongxin aside to avoid the fallout, then shot Liu Hu a pitying look.

*Damn, this guy’s got guts—straight-up poking the dragon’s reverse scale. Let’s observe a moment of silence for him. Hope he leaves here in one piece.*

Hua Diao tugged Xie Tingsheng’s hand, calming him enough to refrain from outright murder, though the killing intent in his eyes remained.

Unfortunately, Liu Hu missed it entirely, too busy being enraged by Hua Diao’s retort.

Hua Diao scowled and fired back, "Who says I can’t speak? The Qing Dynasty fell ages ago—this isn’t some backward era of male supremacy. We believe in equality now. I’ll say what I want, and since my husband hasn’t objected, what business is it of yours, an outsider? Honestly, with how much you love meddling, people might mistake you for the neighborhood women’s association chair. Ugh, what a small man in a big body..."

Her sharp tongue lashed out, hitting every sore spot and even dragging Quan Yumeng into the fray, leaving Liu Hu red-faced and veins bulging on his forehead.

Behind him, Quan Yumeng’s expression soured, her earlier sweet smile vanishing as humiliation and anger flashed in her eyes.

Chu Zexuan, however, remained the picture of grace, his smile unreadable—though the occasional glance he cast Liu Hu’s way carried a hint of disdain. *Idiot.*

After her verbal thrashing, Hua Diao tugged Xie Tingsheng past Liu Hu and strode off without a backward glance.

Zhu Bin and He Yongxin silently gave her a thumbs-up before hurrying after them.

From a distance, Hua Diao’s soothing voice carried back: "We’re running late. Director Zhang’s meeting is about to start. Let’s not waste time on Liu Hu—he’s not worth it. Besides, killing him right outside the Special Operations Bureau would be too disrespectful to Director Zhang. They’d have to clean up the mess. Let it go for now. Once we’re in the dungeon, there’ll be plenty of chances to deal with him..."

Her words, spoken without restraint, reached the ears of those behind them. Xu He’s face paled. "Brother Tiger—"

Liu Hu’s expression twisted with venomous hatred. "They won’t kill me so easily. I’m no weaker than Xie Tingsheng. Who ends up dead is still up for debate. If they think they can scare me out of the dungeon, they’re dead wrong."

Baring his jagged teeth, he radiated bloodthirsty menace, like a butcher eyeing his next victim.

But noticing the terrified onlookers shrinking away, he forcibly swallowed his rage, his face turning beet red, veins throbbing at his temples.

Through gritted teeth, he spat, "Let’s go. We can’t be late for the meeting either."